LOWDOWN (double meaning)
++++
I ate a Three Musketeers bar on a gut feeling.(6)
NOUGAT (anagram)
Drink rumored for the caiman incursion (8)
GATORADE (“'gator raid”)
+++++
Pop superstar covers head. Why, you ask? Infamous plaza! (6)
DEALEY (Adele + y)
+++++
Look back to put flower in perspective. It’s ugly. (7)
EYESORE (eye+rose)
+++++
Have more gone west in secret?(6)
OREGON (hidden word)
Available worker and original gangstah reportedly attending tumor study. (8)
ONCOLOGY (“on-call O.G.”)
+++++
Sliced meat stabilizers (5)
Gyros
++++
Senator’s tote holds cypher solver (7,5)
ROSETTA STONE (anagram)
++++
Long-running anime about modest swimwear (3,5)
ONE PIECE
+++
Ice chapel has no exit on top (8)
CEPHALIC (anagram of ice chapel - e)
++++
That clarinet was sweet as candy.(8)
LICORICE
+++++++
Clue I see, and explain (9)
ELUCIDATE sorta works, but sorta doesn’t. It’s the best I got.
If the game’s gonna survive, I think we need a hint.
ELUCI [clue I] DATE (see)
Strained inflection (5)
TENSE (double meaning)
+++++
I felt very calm heading to Florida for a tryst.(6)
Hint:
I felt very calm / heading to Florida for a tryst.(6)
answer/rebus
About 48 hours ago I considered SERENE, as it fit the overlap and word count and definition of “very calm”. But I could not for the life of me figure out what it could possibly have to do with Florida (except maybe it is southeast?) and I still can’t, even with confirmation that “very calm” is in fact the answer.
Nevertheless, the last time I thought I’d sorta but sorta not solved a puzzle, it turned out I had. So, SERENE.
SEDATE, perhaps? (SE + Date?)
That must be it.